John-watkins



No. 608,087. Patented July 26, I898.

J. WATKINS.

BARREL TAP.

[Application filed Feb. 21, 1898.) {No Model.)

JOHN -WATKINS, OF HEREFORD, ENGLAND.

BARREL-TAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,087, dated July 26,1898. Applicatibn filed February 21, 1898- Serial No. 671,166. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN WATKINs, a citizen of England, residing atPomona Farm, Hereford, in the county of Hereford, England, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Cask or Barrel Taps, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of a tap for a cask such thatit can always remain in place without projecting beyond the boundary ofthe cask in such a way as to be injured by transport or handling of thecask.

I shall describe a tap. according to my invention, referring to theaccompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front view. Fig. 2 is a front view with the cover removed.Fig. 3 is a section with the plug and part of-the draw-off pipe shown inelevation. Fig. 4 is a section.

On the end B of the barrel I fix a casing A, and within this casing anda hole bored through the end of the barrel I place a tapersleeve 0, ofcork or like material, having through it a taper-hole, in which I fit aplug D. A semitubular part a of the casing is passed through a holebored through the hoop II and stave S, and within this semitubular partis inserted a draw-off pipe E, which enters a hole in the cork sleeve,which when the plug is turned to open position coincides with a lateralhole d of the plug, leading from a longitudinal hole cl, which has nearits end a number of lateral perforations. There is another longitudinalhole 01* in the plug with a lateral opening, which when the cock is opencoincides with a hole 0 through the sleeve, this hole opening from anannular space, to which air can get access around the draw-off pipe E,so that while liquor runs out of the cask air can enter, as indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 4. 0

After the plug D has been inserted in the sleeve 0 a cover F is fixedover the plug, this cover having a central screw f, which bears upon thetop ofthe plug, serving to tighten it it in the sleeve.

For turning the plug a key K is inserted from above into a space underthe cover F, between it and the outer edge of the casing A. The key hasa forked end, the gap of which fits a rectangular projection 70 on theend of the plug. In order to prevent the key from being withdrawn whenthe tap is open, the key has a stud k, which can pass through a slot kcut in the upper edge of the casing, so that when the tap is closed, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, the key K can be introduced or removed; butshould the plug be turned so as to open the tap then the stud is, beingwithin the edge of the casing A, prevents the key from being withdrawn.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and the best means Iknow of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim- A tap for acask comprising a casing fixed on the end of the cask, a tapersleeve ofcork fitted with a'taper-plug, a draw-off pipe passed through the hoopand stave near the end of the cask into a lateral hole of the sleeve, acover fixed on the casing, and a forked key, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN WATKINS.

Witnesses:

OLIVER IMRAY, JNo. P. M. MILLARD.

